This morning I woke up with Biggie on my mind.

“It was all a dream
I used to read Word Up magazine
Salt’n'Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hangin’ pictures on my wall
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl…”

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Yesterday, my evening was a little intense after I found out that The NYLA Report’s team was accepted into a major show at Fashion Week. I guess you could say that I was at the point of excitement where you really can’t concentrate.

Then I got caught up in a bunch of text messages, emails, chats & phone calls from all over the place which kinda exacerbated where I was in terms of being able to focus.

Things only got worse when I received this email:

“CONGRATULATIONS!

We are happy to inform you that your application for Press and Industry

Accreditation for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York has been approved.

A schedule of shows will be posted on the event website once it is available. Details on picking up credentials, policy changes, updates and other information will be provided in subsequent emails.

Thanks again for your support of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.”

The text messages & phones calls just put me in a tale spin, then I took to FB & Twitter & poured a few drinks. I was truly a mess in all of the right ways.

I’ve been talking about this for a while, so you know that I am beyond being excited!!!!

A few years ago, this whole process was just a thought, a dream even; today it’s happening & it feels like a dream. Just two weeks from now, I’ll be done with my 1st day @ NYFW. WOW!!!!

Now, I ask the question; Who gone check me boo?

So I’m at an event tonight where my friend Shades is being recognized for a piece of public art he designed is being unveiled.

While he was posing for a photo, I was looking at the photographer snap her shot. When she was done taking the photo, she turned to me and asked if I had “camera envy.” I smiled and said yes.

That bitch was shooting with a Nikon D200 with a kit lens on it. Yeah I’ll be envious of that old janky shit if you want me to be.

She really had it twisted!

With just 19 days left to go, my plan is officially in motion that now that my travel is officially booked for New York Fashion Week.

No, I have not got my official credentials as of yet but like I said before, I’m gonna make this happen one way or the other.

My friend Asia Willis of the NYLA Report joked that waiting for IMG to confirm press credentials is like waiting for a college acceptance letter & that nobody wants a reject letter. I responded by saying that waiting for IMG is like waiting to hear Maury say “You are NOT the father!!!”

Anyway, I’m still pretty nervous all as a newbie but I got even more nervous yesterday after running into fashion photographer Piper Carter who shared some great stories.

In addition to some fascinating stories from Piper’s experience as a Fashion Week photographer with Vogue & various blogs, she gave me some great quick pointers & lens suggestions.

Looks like I need to pick up a Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 (rental of course) OUCH!!!

On a funny note, Piper asked me if I’d have an assistant while work. I told her no, she then looked at me with this wild look & did this funny body move & was like Hmmm, good luck on that…. Oh shit. After this season, Ill have personal knowledge & see how far I can go it alone.

In general, I will need to get my aggressive Detroiter skills in full effect just incase I have to check someone that TRIES to check me.

I hate having to be aggressive while working but you gotta do what you have to do to get the shot….

Ingredients:
- 10 Fresh mint leaves
- 3 ounces of rum
- 2 table spoons of cane sugar
- 1/2 of a lime (quartered)
- Ice
- Club soda
- Sugar cane

The Jump Off:
- In your shaker, muddle (I hope you know what this means) your sugar & mint but don’t pulverize it.

- Once your mint & sugar are set, muddle your limes in then toss in your rum & ice.

Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake that shit up!

- Pour your mixture into a high or low ball glass (high ball glass pictured) fill the remainder of your glass with club soda. Note, if you go with a lowball, you’ll be in the zone much faster because there will be less room for club soda.

- Stir & garnish with sugar cane & a sprig of mint.

- Sip, enjoy, rinse glass then repeat until you forget your name.

On a somewhat related note:
- The name Mojito comes from the African word “mojo,” which means to place a little spell. The exact origins of this tasty Cuban beverage are unclear as some say that it was formulated by African slaves while others claim that hero slaver Sir Francis Drake came up with it all on his own. Hmmmmm.

Recommendations:
- If you need a muddler, I HIGHLY reccomend the PUG muddler. I can’t imagine not hacing it in my cocktail gear collection!

- My favorite shaker is the Boston shaker from WMF it really helps you to shake some shit up!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to photograph friend, radio host of Cocoa Mode (XM169 The Power) & DMV area yogini; Shawna Renee.

Shawna & I met 2 years ago when were both in my BFF’s wedding & we’ve been friends ever since. Actually, I was a fan before I was friend but that’s a long radio listener story.

Anyway, Shawna was in need of some new photos for some exciting new projects, so she hit up yours truly.

My original idea for a photo back drop feel through like a mutha. It’s amazing what how 3 locked doors can destroy plans.

Fortunately, Shawna, was very flexible so we made a quick revamp & the rest is history. During our session, we set up shop on the Detroit River Walk, Millender Center & the Dequindre Cut. It was a quick, sweaty & thirst filled 3 hours.

I’m not sure who said photography was easy because it sure is not! With that said, I’d like to send a special shout out to my baby Olivia who assisted me during the shoot.

One of these days, when someone writes my autobiography, I will talk about how I got Shawna to do the butterfly & why she rode my back during the shoot. It’s about that hard work I was just talking about.

Anyway, I’m tired & need to sign off. The weekend was AWESOME but now I’m feeling it.

If you follow me on Twitter of Facebook, then you know that I’m planning on being at New York Fashion Week this fall.

As I said, I’m PLANNING on being there no matter what! My application to photograph has been submitted to IMG & the plan is to work with my home girl, ace boom cool & style-watching partner Asia Willis of The NYLA Report.

While I sit & wait for a yes or no, I’ll be dreaming that I was chosen to work some of the hottest runway shows with a fun team of style/fashion journalist led by Asia.

So if I am not chosen, I will still be in the city with an obviously reduced schedule of events. I plan on just being out & about doing street photography & wrapping up my Analog Portrait series.

Which ever jumps off, it will be a great opportunity & I plan on having a ball because I have chosen to see the silver lining. But, I so want to be chosen.

Speaking of being chosen, just 24 more days before the voting for the Black Weblog Awards are closed for voting.  If you have not already voted, please consider choosing me for the best photo blog.

Your vote can be cast here for “Tafari’s Mindspill” (best photography blog on page 4).

If my blog is chosen for the best photo blog, I will post a video of my doing my happy dance while doing my bitch scream. I know you want to see that so cast a vote!!!!!

By the way, I got my little apprentice Olivia to help me compose this shot. She’s great but hardheaded around my equipment. I guess she’s a lot like me.

And… you will see more of this chair. It’s my new “gentlemen’s chair” that I won in an auction. I saw it in the window 3 months ago at DuMouchelles auction house & I had to have it. One month & 1 bid later, it was mine. Sadly, it fits nowhere in my home but I will find a way to make it work!!!!

Thanks to your help, I’m excited to announce that I’m a 2010 Black Weblog Awards finalist for best photo blog [insert a "hell fuck yeah" here]. I was astounded to see that there were over 32,000 nominations & I still made the cut [insert a "go boy" here].

In the photo blog category, I’m in good company with four other photographers so this will be interesting because we are all so different.

Outside of my own finalist position, I was very happy to see MANY of my friends listed as finalist in other categories ranging from business, fashion, web, design & culture. So many winners even without this contest that showcases the nest of the Black blogosphere.

While YOU’RE VOTING FOR ME (Tafari’s Mindspill), be sure to check out some of my peeps & consider casting a ballot for them as well. None of them disappoint!

• Afrobella
• Black and Married with Kids
• Friday Favecast
• The Gentlemen’s Standard
• Kiss My Black Ads
• Mostbeautifullist
• SoulBounce
• What Would Thembi Do?
• Womanist Musings

To vote: Visit here & select your blog choices accordingly. And make sure to vote for Tafari’s Mindspill in the “best photography blog” category!

Black Weblog Awards on Twitter for updates on the awards. BTW, vote for me! OK. Thanks. Bye!

Art Credits:
Model: My sexy ass
Photographer: My main home slice Myron Watkins

This photo represents the perfect storm for me because I love tightly cropped photos, I love well balanced light, I love Olivia’s eyes & I love big hair.

I’ve never met a lily that I did not love. Never!  Outside of oriental & Asiatic lilies, calla lilies are my favorite. Especially large white calla lilies.

Calla lilies are romantic, regal, art inspiring, delicate, complex yet so simple and African.

I recently posted on Twitter that I find calla lilies to be beautifully vaginal and phallic at the same time.

One the surface, I see an erect penis with a large head. Inside, I see a soft warmly lit vagina with a carefully protected clitoris ready to be loved.

When I see & photograph flowers, sometimes my mind wonders. I see many things almost like when I gaze at clouds. Maybe it’s my artistic mind but I’ll let you figure that out.

See more of my recent calla lily photos here.

So, I’m walking down Broadway in SoHo minding my own business when I happened to look up to see this beautiful cocoa brown woman walking my way.

I basically jumped in front of her & asked to photograph her.

Her hair was great, her skin was great, her make up was like totally perfect; almost too perfect considering how hot it was on this day.

While I was photographing her, she explained to me that she had JUST finished a photo shoot with a clothing designer.  I mean, talk about timing!

This image happens to be one of my favorite from the street portraits that I captured on this trip.

What I love about this photo are her eyes & glossy cassis lips.  The effect over her eyes actually occurred in the camera & was not part of my digital processing workflow.

The same thing occurred in another photo that I took in a portrait composition. I think I may avoid doing portrait comps with this camera although I got lucky a few times with interesting & random results.

You can see more of the beginning of my new NYC Analog Portraits project series here. Be sure to click the “show info link once the slide show starts to get the back story to see my captions.

Looking forward to my lovers road trip get-a-way this weekend to celebrate my 11th wedding anniversary along with BFB & The Good Dr. Long, who will be celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary.

During the trip, we are doing nothing specific so I’m hoping for tons of random goodness.

I know one thing, Suite Suzy & I are looking forward for adult time together! Kids are a challenge in the summer time & its certainly time for a break from these crumb snatchers.

While in NYC, I plan on photographing elements the city in 36 frames with my Mamiya/Sekor 500DTL camera. My theme is somewhat determined but I will see how it flows once I get on the ground running. Stay tuned!

On another photography note: I have a scheduled photo shoot with a NYC actress, which should be pretty cool. From our initial conversation, I know that she will be quite fun to work with. Get money!

I know I said I was gonna be on a lovers road trip get-a-way but a brotha has to make some cash!

Photo history:
Taken with my old iPhone 3Gs on top of Rockefeller Center, processed in Adobe Lightroom.

If you’re an iPhone user, I’m willing to bet that you upgraded to the new version of the iPhone software iOS4 yesterday. If I’m a losing man on this bet, please take an IOU.

One of the cool features in the new software is the ability to have custom images displayed as your home & lock screen backgrounds. I think it’s pretty cool, because I can use my own imagery to pretty up my phone.

Once you view the updated wallpaper gallery on your phone, you will notice 27 options that Apple has provided for you to customize your phone. Of the 27 options, I dig 3 or 4 but what does that matter because I hooked myself up some cool new ones.

I hooked up 16 cool new wallpapers to be exact & I would like to share!  If you dig my photography, then I’m sure you will enjoy these cool freebies.

I’ll assume that you know how to add these to your photo library, like a smart iPhone junky, so please enjoy!

Download link